Automobile door lock



Sept. 23, 1924. mamas.

. c. P. CHAMBERLIN AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK Filed April 23, 1919 WITNESS;

A TTORNE Y Patented Sept. 1924.

o rrE-o STATES 1,509,2- PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE r. CHAMBERLIN, or BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR or ONEHALF r a osnrn N. sm'rn & COMPANY, or nnrno'rr, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK.

Application filed April23, 1919. Serial No. 292,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE P. CHAM- BERLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, county of Oakland,

State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automobile Door Locks, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to automobile door looks, particularly-the doors of closed body vehicles which the operator desires to lock upon leaving the vehicle. The object of the invention is to provide a cheap and-cilicient device for preventing an oscillation,

of the door handle and consequent withdrawal of the door latch from the striker plate. The' invention further consists m various novel features of construction whereby the rotation of the key in the lock mem ber moves a bar longitudinally of the latch operating bolt to a position to allow or to prevent operation of the latch by oscillation of the handle. The invention further consists in the novel construction of a supporting member for the locking device and the means for preventing displacement of the lock member in the receptacle provided therefor. These and other objects and-the novel features of construction are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and the preferred form of the construction of the invention-is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved locking device.

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section of doors being operated from the exterior and, to prevent unauthorized persons entermg the vehicle, the single remaining door is usually provided with the latch operating handle upon both the'interior and exterior thereof and a key operated lock is utilized to prevent the opening of the door and these locks are usually of a character in which a latch bolt is projected into a striker plate on the door frame. In this invention, and for the purpose of cheapness and simplicity of construction, I have provided a lock of a character to prevent or to allow oscillation of the latch operatin handle or bolt supporting the handle an lock in a casting provided with a socket for the handle and a socket forming a receptacle for the lock member.v This casting is indicated at land is provided with a socket 2 to receive the shank 3 of the handle member 4. This shank is provided with the latch operating bar 5 which is square in cross section being seated in a recess in the shank 3 in-which it fits whereby rotation of the handle and shank rotates the bar 5. The recess 2 is provided with a shoulder 6 against which the inner end of the shank engages providing a chamber between the end of the shank and the bottom of the recess. In this chamber is a coiled'spring 7 having one end 8 passing through an aperture in the wall of therecess and the other end projecting through an aperture 9 in the bottom of the recess and engaging a plate 10 secured to the bar 5 and rotatable therewith. Rotation in one directionto retract the door latch is against the tension of the spring which tends to return the handle and bar to original position. This plate 10 is provided with a lug 11 on one side thereof which engages against a lug 12 on the base 1 and limits the extent of return movement of the handle in which position of the handle the latch is to btle understood as engaging in the striker p ate.

The casting 1 is provided with an additional. recess or socket 14 into which the barrel 15 of the lock seats. This lock may be of any approved ty e being here shown as the ordinary type 0 cylinder lock having a member 16 rotatable by a key which member at the inner end is elongated and provided with a screw threaded portion 17. On the backof the casting, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is provided a plate 13 heregroove 20 and the plate. 13 may be placed over the end of the bolt, the aperturetof0re,mentioned which has an aperture 18 therein opening into a-smaller aperture 19' 18 being of sufficient size for such purpose and, after being positioned, it may be drawn to one side drawing theedges of the aperture 19 into the groove 20 and thus holding the bolt from longitudinal movement in operation of the lock. For the purpose of holding the barrel 15' of the lock in position, screws 41 may be provided passing through the said plate 13 and into aconvenient portion of the inner end of the barrel 15 and by which means the lock is securely held in position and displacement thereof prevented.

For the purpose of preventing or allowing rotation or oscillation of the bar 5 and handle attached thereto Iprovide what I have termed a lock plate 21 which has a square aperture 22 at one end thereof slidably fit-, ting the square bar 5. This bar 5 has a round portion 23 near the plate 10, it being spaced from the said plate a distance at least equal to the thickness of the bar 21. At the end of the bar opposite the square aperture 22- the said bar is provided with an internally threaded boss 24; in which the threaded projection 17 of the lock bolt 16 engages and, bylrotation of this bolt in one direction or thel other, the locking bar 21 is moved longitudinally of the bar 5 and when the bar is in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the square aperture 22 engages over a square portion of the bar 5 and rotation of .the said bar is prevented which effectually locks the door as the-latch may not be withdrawn. When moved to 1 position shown by full lines in Fig. 2, in which position the rounded portion 23 is po sitioned within the square aperture 22, the handle and bar member 25 maybe freely oscil'lated to operate the door latch as will be readily understood. To insure the bar 21 moving exactly at a right angle to the bar 5 to prevent liability of the bar 21 binding on the bar 5, the boss 24 should be of sufficient length to prevent lateral movement of the bar and to further relieve the bolt 16 from strain incident to an attempt to rotate the bar 5 when the bar 21 is in engage- .ment with a squared portion thereof, I provide a lug 25 at the end of the bar 21 which rides in a slot 26 provided between two lugs 27 and 28 formed integral with the casting 1. This serves to prevent any tendency of the bar 21 to rotate by operation of the handle 4 when the bar 21 is in'locked position.

As heretofore stated the exact character of the lock is not material except that the lock bolt be of such character as to be rotated by the key'indicated at 29 and preferably the arrangement is such that the key must make one complete turn to lock or un lock the device. For the purpose of limiting the extent of rotation of the key so that only one turn thereof may be made in unlockin stem 1 with a pin 30 near the end thereof so positioned that, upon outward movement of the bar 21, the said pin will come into engagement with a pin 31 carried on the boss 24..and thus when the key has made a complete turn and the device is unlocked, further rotation is prevented. Likewise, upon reversely turning the key to again lock the device, the extent of rotation is limited by reason of the inner face of the bar 21 engaging the shoulder 32 on the lock bolt 16 at the bottom of the threads.

From the foregoing description it is evident that the device is simple in construction, that the latch bar, handle and lock device may be assembled as a unit and secured in position with the latch mechanism and forms a structure that is neat in appearance and serviceable for the described purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a door latch, an oscillatable latch operating bar square in cross section and having a portion thereof practically round in cross section, a lock, and a lock plate having a square aperture slidably fitting the square bar, and means operated by said lock to move said plate longitudinally of the bar to position the plate with the aperture encircling the rounded or the square portions of the bar.

2. In a door latch, a latch operating bar having a portion square in cross section and a portion round in cross section, a plate iaving a square aperture slidable on the bar and a threaded aperture, a screw engaging the threaded aperture of the plate, rotation of the screw causing movement of the plate longitudinally of the bar to position the square aperture on the square or rounded portion of the bar, and a key actuated look by means of which the screw may be rotated.

3. In a lock, a latch operating bar having a portion square in cross section and a portion round in cross section, a plate having a square aperture slidable on-the bar and further being provided with a threaded aperture, a screw engaging the threaded aperture of the plate, rotation of the screw in one direction or the other causing movement of the plate longitudinally of the bar to place the square aperture in engagement the device I provide the threaded either with the square or rounded portion thereof, and a lock device controlling operation of the screw.

4. In a door latch, a base shaped to provide two similar recesses, a handle member having a shank engaging in one of the recesses, a latch operating bar connected therewith projecting through the bottom of the recess, the bar having a squared and a rounded portion, a lock member comprising a barrel fitting the other recess and a lock bolt projecting therethrough, the projectingportion of the lock bolt being threaded, a plate having a threaded aperture, and a square aperture engaging over the latch bar and slidable thereon to engage over the rounded or the squared portion of the bar, a guide for preventing the turning of the lock plate, and a key for the look by means of which the lock bolt may be rotated.

5. In a door latch, an oscillatable latch operating bar, a lock member through which the bar extends, said member being slidable longitudinally of the bar and the member and bar being socomplementally shaped that when the lock member is in one position the bar may be operated and when in another position the bar is heldfrom operation, and a lock device for positioning the lock member;

6. In a lock, a latch operating bar having a portion square in cross section and a portion round in cross section, a handle for the bar, a spring tending to resist rotation of the bar in one direction, a stop limiting its rotation in an opposite direction, a plate or bar having a square aperture slidable longitudinally of the bar, a lock device having a key-operated member, said member having a screw threaded extension and the plate having a threaded aperture in which said extension engages, rotation thereof causing movement of the plate with the square aperture into engagement with the square or rounded portion of the bolt.

7. In a lock, a base member, a latch operating bar having a portion square in. cross section and a portion round in cross section, a handle for the bar, a socket in the base for the handle shank, a coiled spring in the socket tending to resist rotation of the bar in one direction, a stop device limiting the extent of its rotation by the spring, a'plate or bar having a square aperture for the bar and slidable longitudinally thereof, a lock device, the base having a socket for the lock, the lock having a key operated lock bolt provided With a screw threaded extension, the extension having a circumferential groove, a plate having an aperture to allow t e same to be inserted over the extension, and an aperture at oneside of the first named aperture adapted to fit in the groove to hold the lock bolt from movement longitudinally, said plate being secured to the base, rotation of the threaded member causing movement of the plate to engagement with the square or the rounded portion of the bar to prevent or allow oscillation of the latch bar and handle.

8. In a door latch, an oscillatable latch operating bar, a non-rotatable lock member through which the bar extends and on which the said lock member, is slidable, the bar and member being so formed that when the member is in one position the bar may be oscillated and when in another position prevents oscillation thereof, and a key operated lock for positioning the lock member.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

CLARENCE P. CHAMBERLIN. 

